Hurricane Irene his the Dominican Republic

A woman watches from a beach in Santo Domingo on August 22, 2011, while the country waits for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Irene in the northern coast. Hurricane Irene is moving towards the island of Hispaniola putting the Dominican Republic on high alert, as the newly-strengthened...

A woman watches from a beach in Santo Domingo on August 22, 2011, while the country waits for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Irene in the northern coast. Hurricane Irene is moving towards the island of Hispaniola putting the Dominican Republic on high alert, as the newly-strengthened... (ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images)

A woman watches from a beach in Santo Domingo on August 22, 2011, while the country waits for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Irene in the northern coast. Hurricane Irene is moving towards the island of Hispaniola putting the Dominican Republic on high alert, as the newly-strengthened...ERIKA SANTELICES, AFP/Getty Images